Manufacture of artificial materials from cellulosic solutions



Patented May 15, 1934 TENT orrice v MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL MATERIALS FROM CELLULOSIC SOLUTIONS Anton Lely, .Aintree, England, assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Enka Corporation, Wilmington; Del.,- a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application July 14., 1931, Serial No. 550,815. In Great Britain January 14,

6 Claims. (01. 106 -40) This invention consists of improvements in the manufacture of artificial materials from cellulosic solutions and has particular reference to the manufacture of artificial silk from solutions of viscose.

Numerous proposals have been made for modifying the materials from which artificial silk is made, or for modifying the character, quality and appearance of the finished artificial silk by .19 additions to the material from which the artificial silk is made.

Thus it has been proposed to modify the characteristics of artificial materials manufactured from cellulosic solutions by incorporating in the viscose or similar solution of cellulose insoluble organic liquids, or insoluble or difiicultly soluble, non-volatile, difficultly volatile or readily volatile substances and these additions have been made to the spinning solutions in emulsion-like, suspen- .9 SiOn-like or colloidal form. Many of the substances mentioned above are markedly water-repellent and consequently tend to produce artificial products which lack the desirable quality of softness. In addition, a number of the substances it has been proposed to add to cellulosic solutions are unstable and tend to undergo change thus producing imperfections on the exterior of the finished materials.

It has now been found that the above-men- 9 tioned disadvantages may be avoided by selecting suitable substances for addition to viscose solutions or the like. Thus when lanoline, adeps lane (wool fat) is incorporated in viscose solutions an artificial silk is obtained which is re- 5 markable for its softness and other good qualities. This result is probably attributable to the fact that lanoline while possessing fatty properties is not a true fat and is not liable to turn rancid and is not water repellent but on the contrary Q is capable of absorbing considerable quantities of water.

The present invention accordingly includes a process for the manufacture of artificial materials from cellulosic solutions in which the said 5 solutions have disseminated through them prior to the spinning or extrusion operation adeps lanae (wool fat).

The wool fat may be dissolved in a solvent therefor and then disseminated through the vis- O cose or other cellulosic solution.

Among the solvents which may be employed are benzene, carbon tetrachloride, oil of turpentine or the like. Particularly good results are obtained from solutions of viscose or the like to which a solution of adeps lana (wool fat) in pine oil has been added. It has been found that the properties of products obtained from cellulosic solutions in which pine oil solutions of lanoline have been incorporated depend on the proportion of the solution added and by varying the proportion of the solution the lustre of the product may be varied from very dull to the normally high lustre.

Quantities of wool fat amounting to 0.5% (reckoned on the cellulose) produce excellent results. For most purposes it is preferable to employ amounts of edeps lanes (wool fat) not exceeding 3 to 4% (reckoned on the cellulose).

The solvent for the wool fat may be employed in a quantity many times that of the wool fat itself and preferably in amounts exceeding three times that of the wool fat.

This invention is applicable to the production of artificial silk by the viscose process, the acetyl cellulose process, the cuprammonia process or any other process in which a solution of cellulose or an ester or ether of cellulose is extruded into threads or filaments. The invention also includes the manufacture of horse hair, films or ribbons by the extrusion process.

The following examples illustrate methods of carrying the invention into effect- Example 1 ture so prepared is gradually diluted with further quantities of viscose solution to form a uniform emulsion. The relative amounts of wool fat solution and viscose are chosen so as to yield a final solution in which the wool fat content amounts to 2% and the benzene content 8% reckoned on the cellulose content.

After the viscose solution has been allowed to ripen it is spun in the normal manner employing the usual precipitating baths.

Example 2 One part by weight of Wool fat is dissolved in l lustered artificial silk filaments from viscose solu- $1.10

tions, the step which includes emulsifying in the viscose solution, adeps lame (W001 fat) which has previously been dissolved in a solvent of the class consisting of pine oil, benzene and carbon tetrachloride.

2. In a process for the manufacture of delustered artificial silk filaments from viscose solutions, the step which includes emulsifying in the viscose solution, adeps lanae (Wool fat) which has previously been dissolved in pine oil.

3. In a process for the manufacture of delustered artificial silk filaments from viscose solutions, the step which includes emulsifying in the viscose solution, adeps lanm (wool fat) which has previously been dissolved in benzene.

4. In a process for the manufacture of delustered artificial silk filaments from viscose solutions, the step which includes emulsifying in the viscose solution, adeps lanae (wool fat) which has previously been dissolved in carbon tetrachloride.

5. In a process for the manufacture of delustered artificial silk filaments from viscose solutions, the step which includes emulsifying in the viscose solution, adeps lanse (wool fat) which has previously been dissolved in a solvent of the class consisting of pine oil, benzene and carbon tetrachloride, the amount of adeps lanae being in the range of .5% to 4% reckoned on the cellulose content.

6. In a' process for the manufacture of delustered artificial silk filaments from viscose solutions, the step which includes emulsifying in the viscose solution, adeps lanes (wool fat) which has previously been dissolved in a solvent of the class consisting of pine oil, benzene and carbon tetrachloride, the amount of adeps lame being at all times less than one third of the amount of the said solvent.

ANTON LELY. 

